Turbine Valve Drain Piping Overheating Failures

Utility Users Group Meeting

Brian Chambers
August 6, 2014
 Turbine Valve Drain Piping Overheating Failures
Failure History
1. Washington Combined Cycle June 29, 2011
2. Murray Combined Cycle July 19, 2011
3. GE Safety Bulletin
4. Cliffside Steam Station, Unit 6 April 1, 2013
5. Hanging Rock Combined Cycle September 4, 2013
Hanging Rock Piping Modifications
6. GE Bulletin TIL 1927
7. Conclusions
 Turbine Valve Drain Piping Overheating Failures
Washington Combined Cycle

Pipe Failure
 Turbine Valve Drain Piping Overheating Failures
Washington Combined Cycle
Failed: June 29, 2011
Steam Turbine: GE Model D11 (2002)
Operating Conditions: 1055F & 1865 psig
Piping: 2 Schedule XXS, SA335 Grade P22 (2.375 O.D. x 0.436 NM)
Fitting: 2 90 SW Elbow, 9000#, SA182 Grade F22
The failure occurred on the drain from the left side Stop/Control Valve. The right side drain had
no evidence of overheating.
The ID magnetite in the pipe was shiny and polished, with obvious axial splits. The pipe OD was
heavily scaled with magnetite.
The root cause of the failure appeared to be severe overheating of the drain line.
Turbine Valve Drain Piping Overheating Failures
Murray Combined Cycle

Failed Piping
 Turbine Valve Drain Piping Overheating Failures
Murray Combined Cycle
Failed: July 19, 2011
Equipment & Operating Conditions similar to Washington
Piping: 1.5 Schedule XXS, SA335 Grade P22
Failure occurred during start-up at a valve socket weld connection.
Again, the ID magnetite in the pipe was shiny and polished and the OD was heavily scaled
with magnetite.
The root cause of the failure appeared to be severe overheating of the drain line. Flow
induced frictional heat generation from droplets or solids entrapped in the elbow may be
responsible.
 Turbine Valve Drain Piping Overheating Failures
GE Safety Bulletin
GE issued a Safety Bulletin in 2012 concerning a
localized overheating phenomenon in steam lead
drain piping and valves. The drain leg piping and
open manual isolation valve, just upstream of the
closed drain MOV were significantly hotter than
the steam temperature. Burning of insulation
was observed and further interrogation found
that the valve and piping were glowing red.
Turbine Valve Drain Piping Overheating Failures
Cliffside Steam Station Unit 6
 Turbine Valve Drain Piping Overheating Failures
Cliffside Steam Station Unit 6
Failed: April 1, 2013
Operating Conditions: 1050F & 3500 psig
Piping: 1.5 Schedule XXS, SA335 Grade P91 (1.900 O.D. x
0.400 NM)
The Unit was operating at full load, 905 MWs, at the time of
the failure with the motor operated isolation drain valve
closed.
The failure occurred on the upper right (C) Control Valve after
seat drain.
The OEM had notified the Station of failures of the drain piping
on a similar plant in India.
Areas around the Stop/Control Valves were roped off at the
time of failure.
Turbine Valve Drain Piping Overheating Failures Cliffside
Steam Station Unit 6
 Turbine Valve Drain Piping Overheating Failures
Cliffside Steam Station Unit 6
Metallurgical Evaluation
The failed C drain and the A drain (Upper Left CV) piping were shipped to the McGuire
Metallurgy Lab for analysis.
Diametrical and thickness measurements were performed on the failed drain piping. Both of
the horizontal runs of the drain piping showed significant swelling, typically uniform, with the
pipe remaining circular in cross-section.
Hardness of the unaffected material was typically 220 Brinell (HB 200 250 Desired Range).
From the Control Valve to the burst, the hardness decreased to 183 Brinell; beyond the burst,
the hardness increased significantly to as high as 388 Brinell.
This hardness increase implied that the material must have surpassed its critical temperature
and that a martensitic phase-transformation occurred on sudden cooling.
A cross section through the burst showed significant plastic deformation along with minor
voiding from stress rupture. There were no martensitic transformation products at the burst,
although some spheroidization of carbides was observed.
The ID scale had a matte appearance in all locations and did not show signs of internal
polishing.
The A drain pipe showed no notable swelling along its length; microstructure and hardness
were normal for P91 material.
Turbine Valve Drain Piping Overheating Failures
Cliffside Steam Station Unit 6
Metallurgical Evaluation

O.D. of Drain Line at Various Locations

 Turbine Valve Drain Piping Overheating Failures
Cliffside Steam Station Unit 6
Metallurgical Evaluation

241
212 388
187 183 302
255
217

Wall Thickness and Hardness (Brinell) Adjacent to Burst

The failed C drain line was found to be significantly overheated, in excess of its
critical temperature, above which a transformation from ferrite to austenite will
occur. The typical lower critical temperature for the P91 material is 1500F.
 Turbine Valve Drain Piping Overheating Failures
Cliffside Steam Station Unit 6

The OEM has had 6 drain pipe failures on similar Units since
November 2012, thus root cause investigations were underway
at the time of the Cliffside failure.
The similar Units where the failures occurred were all super-
critical, 4 Control Valve Units.
The failures occurred on drains from the upper Control Valves
that have 90 elbows on the Main Steam piping exiting the
valves.
The OEM correlates that the failures are due to thermo-
acoustic overheating.
 Turbine Valve Drain Piping Overheating Failures
Cliffside Steam Station Unit 6

Thermo Acoustic effect is:

phenomena of mutual heat transfer between fluid and pipe wall inside of
narrow tube under the cyclic fluid compression and expansion.

It is characterized by huge pressure fluctuation and heat transfer between

tube wall and fluid.
 Turbine Valve Drain Piping Overheating Failures
Cliffside Steam Station Unit 6

Failure analysis of the

ruptured pipe shows it
reached a temperature of
approximately 1500F
How does the pipe get to
1500F when the steam is
only 1050F?
As Briscoe Darling blows
across the top of his brown
jug what happens?
 Turbine Valve Drain Piping Overheating Failures
Cliffside Steam Station Unit 6

Thermo-Acoustic Resonance
Similar to a pipe organ
The sound wave from flow across the Control Valve
can excite the natural frequency of the steam in the
drain line.
If the steam is excited at the natural frequency it can
become superheated.
 Turbine Valve Drain Piping Overheating Failures
Cliffside Steam Station Unit 6
The A and C Control Valve Drain lines were replaced with like
kind materials, 1.5 Schedule XXS, SA335 Grade P91.
The C drain line was re-routed to mirror the A drain line,
eliminating a horizontal 90 bend.
Hardness testing was performed on the B & D, lower Control
Valves, drain lines. One location had low hardness, most likely
from original installation.
The 4 drain lines were instrumented with thermocouples and
alarms set in the Control Room for 1100F.
A hi-hi alarm is set for 1150F that will open the MOV to allow
flow to cool the line.
The Station will manage MWs and CV opening to stay away
from high temperatures, potentially requiring derates.
Turbine Valve Drain Piping Overheating Failures
Cliffside Steam Station Unit 6
Turbine Valve Drain Piping Overheating Failures
Cliffside Steam Station Unit 6
 C CV After Seat Drain Temps

889 709 225 188

H I DJ K
D

921 G
L 117
1206 F
D

1262 E
D
Failure Location
D
1282
M
D 91
1174 C
D

1058 B

A
D

Turbine
1050 F Main Steam
Operational data of drain line temps
4-16-13 at 09:00 905 MWs CV 39% open

The Unit returned to service on April 15, 2013.

Thermocouples on the drain lines were not functioning
properly and were repaired the morning of April 16th.
 Turbine Valve Drain Piping Overheating Failures
Cliffside Steam Station Unit 6

On April 16th, the load was reduced to drop the drain line
temperatures. During the reductions, a change in pitch of the
Unit was noted.
When the valve goes over 37% open the unit started making
a high pitch noise and the temperature on the CV C drain pipe
after the seat started raising above 1100F.
The following noise measurements were taken about 150 feet
away from the turbine.
 Turbine Valve Drain Piping Overheating Failures
Cliffside Steam Station Unit 6

1. Noise 1 - 880 MW.WMA

2. Noise 2 - 895 MW.WMA
High frequency noise at around 4kHz was observed during
the period of drain pipe overheating.

This high frequency noise was also observed in noise

recordings on the other reference Units that had also
experienced drain pipe rupture incidents.
 Turbine Valve Drain Piping Overheating Failures
Cliffside Steam Station Unit 6

The Control Valve A (Upper Left) After Seat Drains

experienced overheating events on July 6 & 9. The MOVs
were opened to cool the line.

July 6 Event: Valve Position 32-34% and Pressure Ratio 92 -

94%

July 9 Event: Valve Position 35% and Pressure Ratio 94%

The metal temperatures in the piping decreased when the

Pressure Ratio became lower than 90%.
 Turbine Valve Drain Piping Overheating Failures
Cliffside Steam Station Unit 6

Further OEM Research:

Non resonance high frequency vibration (i.e Cavity Tone)
may also cause the overheating of the Control Valve After
Seat Drain piping.

Estimated Mechanism:
Overheating effect is observed when the high frequency
oscillation (cavity tone) generated at the downstream end
of the Control Valve is amplified by Main Steam pipe system
(resonance with membrane oscillation of piping).
Turbine Valve Drain Piping Overheating Failures
Cliffside Steam Station Unit 6
Turbine Valve Drain Piping Overheating Failures
Cliffside Steam Station Unit 6
Turbine Valve Drain Piping Overheating Failures
Cliffside Steam Station Unit 6
 Turbine Valve Drain Piping Overheating Failures
Cliffside Steam Station Unit 6
Summary of OEM Research

Drain Line Overheating - Potential Causes:

Turbulent flow at drain piping entrance caused
by the downstream vertical elbow
Terminal (Closed) end of drain piping (MOV)
Methods to Eliminate the Overheating:
Elimination of downstream elbow
Elimination of closed terminal end of drain
piping
 Turbine Valve Drain Piping Overheating Failures
Cliffside Steam Station Unit 6

Drains modification would eliminate the upper

drain isolation valves and tie the upper drains in to
the lower Main Steam Lead piping.
 Turbine Valve Drain Piping Overheating Failures
Cliffside Steam Station Unit 6

Modifications to the A & C Control Valve

After Seat Drains were performed during the
planned fall 2013 outage.
The manual and motor operated valves were
removed from the drains and new piping was
routed and connected to the lower B & D
Control Valve Main Steam leads.
Thermocouples were re-installed on the drains
for continuous temperature monitoring.
Turbine Valve Drain Piping Overheating Failures
Cliffside Steam Station Unit 6

Upper A & C Stop/Control Valves

Turbine Valve Drain Piping Overheating Failures
Cliffside Steam Station Unit 6

Lower B & D Stop/Control Valves

Turbine Valve Drain Piping Overheating Failures
Cliffside Steam Station Unit 6

A (Left) & C (Right) After Seat Drain

Connections to the Control Valves.
Turbine Valve Drain Piping Overheating Failures
Cliffside Steam Station Unit 6

Drain Connections to B & D Main Steam Leads

Turbine Valve Drain Piping Overheating Failures
Cliffside Steam Station Unit 6

PI Operating Data 12/6/13

 Turbine Valve Drain Piping Overheating Failures
Cliffside Steam Station Unit 6
Conclusions
Based on the OEM research, the thermo acoustic
overheating can take place at low loads and low
frequencies or higher loads and higher frequencies.
For OEM reference units, the overheating has
occurred at the lower frequencies, whereas at
Cliffside 6, the overheating was more prevalent at
higher loads and higher frequencies.
The Cliffside 6 A & C Control Valve After Seat
Drains were re-routed to the lower Main Steam
Leads during the current outage. Thermocouples
were installed on the lines to confirm that this
modification alleviates the overheating. No issues
have been observed.
Turbine Valve Drain Piping Overheating Failures
Hanging Rock Combined Cycle
 Turbine Valve Drain Piping Overheating Failures
Hanging Rock Combined Cycle
Failed: September 4, 2013
Steam Turbine: GE Model D11 (2003)
Operating Conditions: 1055F & 1865 psig
Piping: 2 Schedule XXS, SA335 Grade P22 (2.375 O.D. x
0.436 NM)
Fitting: 2 90 SW Elbow, 9000#, SA182 Grade F22
 Turbine Valve Drain Piping Overheating Failures
Hanging Rock Piping Modifications

Acoustic diffusers were

installed on the drain
pipes in an attempt to fix
the problem.
Turbine Valve Drain Piping Overheating Failures
Hanging Rock Piping Modifications
Turbine Valve Drain Piping Overheating Failures
Hanging Rock Piping Modifications
After reviewing the PI data, it appears that the
mufflers did not solve the problem with over-
temperatures.
Where do we go from here?
I think that either moving the location of the drain
coming off the valve and/or going to a larger drain
pipe diameter would help alleviate the problem and
increase safety.
 Turbine Valve Drain Piping Overheating Failures
Conclusions
Yearly Visual and Hardness Testing have been
performed on the CV After Seat Drains on the
older, 2002-2003, vintage Combined Cycle Units.
A Program is currently in progress to install
thermocouples on the drains to monitor and
control temperatures.
EPRI/Industry involvement is needed to help
formulate an understanding of design or
operational changes required to alleviate the
drain overheating. EPRI has a Project in 2014 to
further research the cause of these failures.
Turbine Valve Drain Piping Overheating Failures
GE Bulletin TIL 1927
Turbine Valve Drain Piping Overheating Failures
GE Bulletin TIL 1927
Questions